36 Manila officials involved in drugs

AT least 36 officials in the city of Manila are involved in illegal drugs, according to the Manila Police District (MPD).

MPD chief, Senior Supt. Joel Napoleon Coronel, declined to identify these officials whom he described as “high-value targets” so as not to compromise their investigation.

“They are either involved as a user, trafficker or protector of illegal drugs,” he said in a news briefing in Camp Crame, the headquarters of the Philippine National Police.

He added that 96 percent of the 896 barangays (villages) in the city are drug-affected, a figure that the police aims to lower to 20 percent.

Coronel explained that based on the old parameters of the Dangerous Drug Board (DDB), a barangay is considered to be drug affected if a single resident is using illegal drugs.

The DDB has adjusted its parameters and now categorizes barangays to be either seriously affected, moderately affected and slightly affected by drugs.

Barangays seriously affected are those found to have shabu laboratories or a high profile drug lord. Barangays with at least two percent of their population using drugs are moderately affected, while barangays with less than two percent of residents using drugs are slightly affected.

Coronel said 34 barangays in Manila are moderately affected. The rest are slightly affected.